Ash Barty has announced that she is expecting her second child with her husband Garry Kissick.
The Aussie tennis champion, 28, took to Instagram on Christmas Day to share the jovial family news with her 505,000 followers.
She posted a sweet picture of her son Hayden, 17 months, standing in front of their Christmas tree wearing a T-shirt with some telling words on.
It read: ‘I’m going to be a… big brother,’ as Ash revealed the exciting news in her adorable Christmas Day post.
Alongside the snap, she penned: ‘Merry Christmas from our growing family to yours!’
She was quickly inundated with sweet congratulatory messages from her friends and followers.
Ash Barty has announced that she is expecting her second child with her husband Garry Kissick
Comedian Tanya Hennessy wrote: ‘What???!! Omg congrats beauty.’
While swimmer Libby Trickett commented: ‘Ahhh congratulations! The most wonderful news.’
Dutch tennis player Kiki Bertens said: ‘Congrats,’ and cricketer Chris Lynn added: ‘Congrats legends.’
Ash welcomed her first child with golfer Gary in July last year and took to Instagram at the time to share the news.
The couple shared a photograph of the little one cuddled up in a blanket and confirmed they had called their baby boy Hayden in a caption.
Garry gushed in a caption: ‘Our beautiful boy. Welcome to the world, Hayden!’
Ash later opened up about the joys of being a mother, telling how raising her newborn son Hayden has been rewarding in so many ways.
‘It’s the best, and hardest thing, I’ve ever done,’ Ash told News Corp.
Taking to Instagram on Christmas Day, Ash posted a sweet picture of her son Hayden, 17 months, standing in front of their Christmas tree wearing a T-shirt with some telling words on
‘Hayden is amazing, I feel so very lucky. Garry and I are really just enjoying what is a pretty quiet time together at home as a little family.’
Ash and Garry welcomed Hayden into the world just one year after they tied the knot in a private ceremony in Queensland on July 30, 2022, just months after she retired.
The couple, who are very private about their relationship, first met in 2016 and got engaged in November 2021.
Ash sensationally quit professional tennis at the peak of her powers following her watershed Australian Open win in January 2022.
At the time of her retirement, Ash had held the status of World No. 1 for since June 2019 and had just won a third Grand Slam title in three years.
But Ash said she has no regrets whatsoever about retiring and said she was surprised about how ‘comfortable’ she was with leaving the sport in an interview last year.
‘I think there was probably a normal fear or uncertainty in not knowing what my life would look like after tennis after being so focused,’ she told the New York Times.
‘I was a bit unsure how I would deal with that because I am a person who likes to be organised.
Ash sensationally quit professional tennis at the peak of her powers following her watershed Australian Open win in January 2022 (pictured)
‘There was probably a little bit of fear in that, but overall, that hasn’t been an issue, a concern or a worry.
‘What’s been surprising in a good way is that I’ve slipped quite seamlessly into this life that’s just like everyone else. Which is kind of always what I wanted.’
Ash has since shut down rumours that she would be returning to professional tennis or taking up golf – the same sport as her husband Garry plays.
‘The answer is no to both,’ she told New Idea magazine when asked about the speculation.
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